The town of Erie, Pa., has been good to the Iowa football team in terms of producing talented players and the pipeline continued Tuesday with a prized running back from Erie picking the Hawkeyes.

High school senior Greg Garmon, who attends McDowell High School in Erie, made a verbal commitment to Iowa while participating in the Sempler-Fidelis High School All-America Bowl game in Phoenix, Ariz.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Garmon had a long list of scholarship offers, but he picked Iowa over Miami (Fla.) and Arkansas. He is an elusive runner and has been clocked at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Garmon is ranked as a four-star recruit by Scout.com and Rivals.com on a five-star scale.

He is the second high school running back to commit to Iowa’s 2012 class, joining Sioux City Heelan senior Michael Malloy. However, Malloy is being recruited as an athlete and could play receiver at Iowa.

Landing at least one running back on an annual basis is almost always a priority for the Iowa coaches, but even more so now with the status of starting running back Marcus Coker uncertain and his backup Mika’il McCall leaving Iowa.

Coker is serving suspensions for undisclosed reasons and Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said in the days leading up the Dec. 30 loss to Oklahoma in the Insight Bowl that he would deal with his situation at a later date.

Garmon is from the same hometown as former Iowa players Bob Sanders, Jovon Johnson and Ed Hinkel.

Sanders didn’t receive near the attention that Garmon has during his recruiting process. But Sanders proved the doubters wrong by becoming an all-America strong safety Iowa. Sanders, who played at Iowa from 2000-03, also went on to Pro Bowl status with the Indianapolis Colts and has played eight seasons in the NFL.

Johnson played at Iowa from 2002-05 and started for three seasons at cornerback. He is ranked third in school history with 17 interceptions and he made first-team all-Big Ten as a senior in 2005.

Hinkel started at receiver for four seasons at Iowa and he set a Kinnick Stadium record by catching four touchdown passes against Minnesota as a senior in 2005.

Hinkel still lives in the area and is an assistant coach for the two-time defending state champion Regina football team.

About Pat Harty: Columnist Pat Harty has been covering the Iowa Hawkeyes for the Press-Citizen since 1991. Originally from Des Moines, he currently writes columns and covers Hawkeye men's basketball for Hawk Central. View author profile.